The Best Dunkers in NBA History

From Dr. J to Michael Jordan, these are the greatest dunkers in the history of the NBA.

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Image via Complex Original
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While we love three pointers as much as anyone else, there’s really nothing on a basketball court quite like a dunk. One resounding slam has the ability to swing the momentum of an entire game, get the crowd fired up, and to immortalize both the dunkers (like Blake Griffin or Michael Jordan) and those being dunked on (like Alton Lister or Frederic Weis).

The best of these dunkers can certainly be some of the game’s best players; Jordan or Julius Erving are certainly too shining examples of that. But, as we’ve learned you don’t always have to be a great basketball player to be a great dunker. Gerald Green—who has now finally started to find a groove in the league—has played for seven franchises, and birthday boy Harold Miner won two Slam Dunk Contests and was out of the league in four years.

In honor of flash-in-the-pan Miner’s birthday, we want to examine the most elite of all these high flyers. Some made their names in the Slam Dunk Contest, others in real games, and a select few in both. One thing they all share in common, though, is they can jump right out of the gym and clearly have a flair for the dramatic. These are the Best Dunkers in NBA History.

Written by Doug Sibor (@dcsibor)

20. Spud Webb

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19. Shaquille O'Neal

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19. Scottie Pippen

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17. Harold Miner

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16. Larry Nance

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15. Darryl Dawkins

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14. Kenny Walker

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13. Desmond Mason

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12. Gerald Green

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11. Clyde Drexler

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10. Blake Griffin

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9. David Thompson

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8. Jason Richardson

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7. LeBron James

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6. Kobe Bryant

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5. Shawn Kemp

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4. Michael Jordan

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3. Vince Carter

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2. Julius Erving

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1. Dominique Wilkins

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